Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Nairobi versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,305 in Nairobi versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,828 in Nairobi versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Nairobi costs roughly 65% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nairobi is 42% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 KES 692

$15.91 €13.80

-66.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 KES 4,917

$64.8 €56.2

-41.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 KES 894

$10.51 €9.12

-34.25%

Cappuccino

$2.39 KES 309

$2.87 €2.49

-16.72%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 KES 91.8

$2.24 €1.95

-68.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.5

$1.50 €1.30

-66.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 KES 298

$3.49 €3.03

-33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 385

$3.88 €3.37

-23.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.14 €0.99

-17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.1

$1.75 €1.52

-69.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KES 212

$1.76 €1.52

-6.82%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 218

$3.22 €2.79

-47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,518

$13.49 €11.70

-12.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 KES 884

$7.91 €6.87

-13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$15.87 €13.77

-65.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 KES 392

$2.31 €2.00

31.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.70 €1.48

-36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$2.01 €1.74

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.46 €2.13

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.84 €1.60

-42.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$2.00 €1.74

-42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KES 90.8

$1.93 €1.67

-63.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.79 €0.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 KES 393

$6.61 €5.73

-54.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 KES 1,509

$5.72 €4.97

104.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 287

$1.37 €1.18

62.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$2.97 €2.58

-5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.6

$2.37 €2.06

-68.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.59 KES 3,956

$45.56 €39.52

-32.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 KES 205

$4.29 €3.72

-62.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 194

$0.82 €0.71

82.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 372

$18.30 €15.88

-84.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$2.06 €1.79

-24.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$34.3K €29.7K

-35.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.4K KES 2.6M

$39.3K €34.1K

-48.04%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$34.70 KES 4,487

$148 €128

-76.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.60 KES 2,147

$20.52 €17.80

-19.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 KES 5,113

$39.61 €34.37

-0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 KES 5,598

$47.85 €41.51

-9.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 KES 2,667

$18.92 €16.42

9.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 KES 785

$9.18 €7.97

-33.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$202 KES 26.1K

$614 €533

-67.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 KES 1.1M

$16.0K €13.9K

-49.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 KES 2,364

$105 €90.8

-82.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.56 KES 3,047

$42.06 €36.49

-43.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,590

$94.0 €81.5

-29.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 KES 7,326

$120 €104

-52.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 KES 58.2K

$1,628 €1,412

-72.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 KES 23.9K

$1,255 €1,089

-85.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 KES 146.6K

$3,030 €2,629

-62.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 KES 54.0K

$2,020 €1,753

-79.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 KES 201.5K

$7,800 €6,766

-80.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 KES 114.5K

$4,273 €3,707

-79.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 KES 53.9K

$1,603 €1,391

-74.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

3.81

289.50%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Nairobi and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 285% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Nairobi vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $269 per month, with Nairobi cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nairobi vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi and Lisbon differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($782 vs $2,210 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 285% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Nairobi versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Nairobi versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Nairobi versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nairobi and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.